Benedict Journey
Benedict Journey (d. June 2008) was the custodian, groundskeeper, and self-styled "dude who tracks down students who get themselves into trouble" at Charmbridge Academy. He met Alexandra Quick on her first day at school; Darla Dearborn speculated that he was a Radicalist, an opinion later shared by Larry Albo. He "was as much a member of the Dark Convention as anyone can be" during the 1990's; it is currently unknown how involved he was with the attempted assassination of Governor-General Hucksteen. He gave his permission to be sworn to the safety of Abraham Thorn's daughter – who Thorn made the Secret Keeper for his group – becoming a member of the Thorn Circle. When Alexandra Quick arrived at the Charmbridge Academy in 2007, Ben treated her amiably, but tried to arrange a series of mishaps and accidents – including the failure of the Invisible Bridge, the explosion of a Blister Tincture – in order to kill her and release the Secret she Kept. On 25 December 2007, Journey broke into 207 Sweetmaple Avenue and stole a golden bracelet that he believed to be the Circle of Protection that was keeping Alex safe. He fled the house before a fire consumed it, and broke the bracelet. In June 2008, after Alex discovered her true identity and paternity, Journey kidnapped Anna Chu and lure Alex into the forest surrounding the Academy. He tried to shoot Alex, but wound up killing himself instead because (as Lilith Grimm later explained to Alex) the bracelet had not been her Circle of Protection – the members of the Thorn Circle itself had been. In trying to kill Alex, the magic that protected Alex had caused his action to rebound on himself, but had broken the Circle in the process, ending the protective spell. Postmortem In April 2010, Journey's ghost was summoned back to the corporeal realm from the Lands Beyond by Alexandra Quick. Soon after, at Quick's request, he led her, Skuld, and Darla Dearborn through a series of caves back to the portal chamber used by the Mors Mortis Society the previous year. There, he and Dearborn saw Quick use blood-magic to open the portal and pass through. In September 2010, Lilith Grimm assured Quick that she would speak with Journey after Quick was attacked by an ensorcelled murder of crows while crossing the Invisible Bridge. Alex and Anna later ventured into the Charmbridge basements to meet with Journey and discuss the attack on Quick and Journey's former involvement with the Dark Convention. Journey apologized to Anna for having kidnapped her, but was not forgiven by her. In October 2010, after Sonja Rackham was Imperiused and forced to nearly uprooted a mandrake in an attempt to kill Alex, Quick visited Journey outside the Groundskeeper's office again and discussed the Mors Mortis Society with him. Allusions Journey shares his name with the infamous Revolutionary War traitor. Appearances * Alexandra Quick and the Thorn Circle * Alexandra Quick and the Lands Below * * Journey, Ben Journey, Ben Journey, Ben Journey, Ben Journey, Ben Journey, Ben Category:Thorn Circle